ject or connection which requires it to be taken otherwise.→ Now so far as my acquaintance with this subject extends, it appears to be generally allowed by lexicographers, that aion is a compound of aei, and on, and that its literal meaning is always being; also, that the meaning of its derivative aionios is endless, everlasting or eternal. This term aionios which is very sparingly applied in the New Testament to limited duration, I always take in its proper sense, except there be something in the connexion or subject which requires it to be taken otherwise: and as I do not find this to be the case in any of those places where it is applied to punishment, I see no reason, in these cases, to depart from its proper acceptation. Everlasting punishment is in some of them opposed to everlasting life; which, so far as antithesis can go to fix the meaning of a term, determines it to be of the same force and extent" So much for Mr. Fuller.

Dr. Clarke on Mat. xxv, 46. remarks, "No end to the punishment of those whom final impenitence manifests in them an eternal will and desire to sin. By dying in a settled opposition to God, they cast themselves into a necessity of continuing in an eternal aversion from him.But some are of an opinion that this punishment shall have an end, this is as likely as that the glory of the righteous shall have an end, for the same word is used to express the duration of the punishment, (kolasin aionion) as is used to express the duration of the state of glory. (zoen aionion) I have seen the best things that have been written in favor of the final redemption of damned spirits; but I never saw an answer to the argument against that doctrine drawn from this verse, but what sound learning and criticism should be ashamed to acknowledge. The original word (aei on) is certainly to be taken here in its proper grammatical sense (aiei on) continued being, NEVER ENDING." (See Clarke's Commentary.)

Dr. Huntington, though himself a believer in univer salism, viewed this subject in the same light. He says, Does the bible plainly say that sinners of mankind shall be damned to interminable punishment? it certainly does; as plainly as language can express, or any man, or even God himself can speak. It is quite strange to me, that some, who believe that all mankind shall in the end

be saved, will trifle with a few words, and most of all with the original word and its derivatives translated forever, &c. (AION) All the learned know that this word in the Greek, signifies an age, a long period, or interminable duration, according as the connected sense requires. They therefore who would deny that the endless damnation of sinners is fully asserted in the word of God, are unfair in their reasoning and criticism." (See Calvinism Improved pp. 47, 48.)

We have now given the opinion of a Methodist, a Catvinist & an Universalist, on this subject, whose testimony perfectly agrees as to the strength of the terms used to express the duration of the punishment of the wicked. What remains we must reserve for another number.

No. V.-Direct evidence, &c.-continued.

III. Those passages which express the duration of future punishment by implication, or by forms of speech which imply the doctrine in question:

The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. He hath never forgiveness; but is in danger of eternal damnation. It is impossible to renew them again unto repentance. If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a fearful looking for of judg ment, which shall devour the adversaries. What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose himself or be cast away? Wo unto that man by whom the son of man is betrayed; it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Their worm dieth not and their fire is not quenched.* Between us & you there is a great gulph fixed; so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us who would come from thence. He that believeth not the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. I go my way and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins; whither I

*Several times repeated in a few verses.

Whose end is destruction.

He that

go ye cannot come. showeth no mercy shall have judgment without mercy.”* On the above passages observe, "If there be some

that never will be forgiven, there are some that never will be saved; for forgiveness is an essential branch of salvation. If there were any uncertainty with regard to the word eternal, in this instance, the meaning would still be fixed by the other branch of the sentence they never shall be forgiven. It is equal to John x, 28. Igive unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. If there. were any uncertainty as to the meaning of the word eternal in this latter passage, yet the other branch of the pas sage would settle it; for that must be endless life which is opposed to their ever perishing; so that must be endless damnation which is opposed to their never being forgiven. If repentence be absolutely necessary to forgiveness, and there be some whom it is impossible to renew again unto repentence, there are some to whom salvation is impossible. If there be no more sacrifice for sin, but a fearful Looking for of Judgment, this is the same, as the sacrifice already offered, being of no saving effect; for if it were otherwise the language would not contain any peculiar threatening against the wilful sinner, as it would be no more than might be said to any sinner, nor would a fearful looking for of judgment be his certain doom. If the souls of some men will be lost or cast away, they cannot all be saved; for these two things are opposite. A man may be lost in a desert, and yet saved in fact; or he may suffer loss, and yet himself be saved; but he cannot be lost, so as to be cast away, and yet finally saved; for these are perfect contrarieties. Whatever may be the precise idea of the worm and the fire, there can be no

*Mat. xii, 31 32. Mark iii, 29. Heb vi, 6. x, 26 27. Luke ix, 25. Mat. xxvi, 24. Mark ix, 43,-48. Luke xvi. 26 John iii, 36, viii, 21.Phil iii, 19, James ii, 13.

"These expressions," says Dr. Macknight" seem to be borrowed from Isa. Ixvi, 24. in which passage the prophet is describing the miserable end of hardened sinners, by a similitude taken from the behaviour of conquerors, who, after having gained the battle, and beaten the enemy out of the field, go forth to view the slain. Thus, at the last day, the devil, with all his adherents, being finally and completely vanquished, the saints E

doubt of their expressing the punishment of the wicked; and its being declared of the one that it dieth not and of the other that it is not quenched is the same as their being declared to be endless. It can be said of no man on the principle of universal salvation, that it were good for him not to have been born, as whatever he might endure for a season, an eternal weight of glory would infinitely outweigh it. An impassable gulph between the blessed & the accursed equally militates against the recovery of the one as the relapse of the other. If some shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on them, if those who die in their sins shall not come where Jesus is, if their end be destruction, and their portion judgment without mercy, there must be some who will not be finally saved.

"IV. Those passages which imply that a change of heart, and a preparation for heaven are confined to the present life.

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near, let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.--Because I have called and ye refused. I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded, I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as desolation, & your destruction cometh as a whirlwind;

shall go forth to view them, doomed by the just judgment of God to eternal death. And this their punishment is represented by two metaphors, drawn from the different ways of burying the dead in use among the Jews. Bodies of men, interred in the earth, are eaten up of worms, which dieth when their food faileth; and those that are burned, are consumed in the fire which extinguishes itself when there is no more fuel added to feed it.But it shall not be so with the wicked; their worm shall not die and their fire is not quenched. These metaphors, therefore, as they are used by our Lord, and by the prophet Isaiah, paint the eternal punishments of the damned in strong & lively colors.""By the worm that dieth not' may be denoted the continual torture of an accusing conscience, and the misery naturally arising from the evil dispositions of pride, self will, desire, malice, envy, shame, sorrow, despair, and by the fire, &c. the positive punishment inflicted by God."-Benson.

when distress & anguish cometh upon you, then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early but shall not find me.--Then said one unto him, Lord are there few that shall be saved? And he said unto him, strive to enter in at the straight gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able. When once the master of the house hath risen up and shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying Lord, Lord, open unto us: he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence you are -Depart from me ye workers of iniquity-there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth-While ye have the light believe in the light. that ye may be the children of light. While they (the foolish virgins) went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. We beseech you, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain-Behold now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation-to day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God-lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know that afterwards, when he would have inher ited the blessing he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears.-He that is unjust let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous let him be righteous still; and he that is holy let him be holy still.*

"According to these scriptures there will be no successful calling upon the Lord after a certain period; and consequently no salvation.-Whether there be few that shall ultimately be saved, our Lord does not here inform us; but he assures us that there will be many who will not be saved, or which is the same thing, who will not be able to enter in at the straight gate. None it is plainly intimated will be able to enter there who have not agonized here. There will be no believing unto salvation but while we have the light; nor any admission into the kingdom unless we be ready at the coming of the Lord.

*Isa. lv. 6, 7. Prov. i. 23, 38. Luke xiii. 24, 29. John xii. 36. Mat. xxv. 5, 13. 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2. Heb. iii, 7, 11, 12, 15, 17. Rev. xxii. 11.